RZM Fine Arts and Antiques Inc: Ask the Appraiser

Jon, we are hoping you might be able to enlighten us about this small metal tray that my grandparents were given when they were missionaries in China at the turn of the century. It is exactly one foot in length and has the most interesting handles that always feel cold to the touch. Furthermore, it has the most beautiful colors, with shades of blues against a yellow background. My wife has been using it for her hairbrush and comb on her dresser for many years. Could this possibly be a vanity tray? What is it decorated with to have such beautiful coloring? What if any value might it have? Thank you.

Lawrence 

The small tray you inherited from your grandparents is actually a Chinese rectangular tea tray, circa the late Qing dynasty (1644-1912). The “most interesting handles that always feel cold” you make reference to, are highly desirable white jade belt buckles acting as the handles. Jade has a cool feeling to the touch and won’t heat up even if you rub it against your skin or squeeze it tightly in your hand. The science behind why jade is always cold to the touch is based on its thermal conductivity. The actual tray is bronze with a wonderful multi-color enamel decorated cloisonne scroll and floral motif throughout. It features a chrysanthemum border surrounding a central circular frame with a beautiful interior floral pendant, against a muted yellow ground. The beautiful colors are a decorative art technique known as cloisonne, which uses metal, enamel and a firing process to create unique designs. The base metal is usually copper or bronze but can also be silver or gold. Not to get too technical, but enamel is made by mixing sand or flint with lead oxide or potash then adding a metallic oxide for color. In the case of your tea tray, cobalt was used for the blue, iron for the brown colors and copper for the greens. The last item used in the production of cloisonne is cloisons. Cloison is the French word for “partitions” or “compartments.” These are enclosures made from metal strips that are bent or hammered into a pattern and then soldered or pasted onto a metal base. As you can now surmise, it is a very labor intensive and a time-consuming process, with the end result being sheer beauty. Now I have some good news to share with you. The Chinese antiques market continues to be fundamentally robust, driven by rising wealth, a generational shift in collectors repatriating their cultural heritage, and sustained global demand, as evidenced by some recent Asian antiques and art auction price results. Demand is strong from both Chinese buyers and international collectors. Collectors use these objects to diversify their wealth. Therefore, the current value for this 19th century tea tray is $3,000 USD. I hope this wonderful tray will continue to be passed down to future generations of your family, as a wonderful example of Chinese artistry.